Prospect Pulse
Players to watch at this year's Futures Game

By John Manuel
July 8, 2005

The Futures Game showcases some of the minor leagues' best prospects.

Thanks to fans and the efforts of people like us here at Baseball America—people who love the minor leagues—the game continues to live up to its name and preview All-Star Games of the future.

It's hard sometimes to know who the stars will be though. In 2004, many of us in the media gravitated to the story of B.J. Upton and David Wright, who played together as teenagers and then were reunited in the Futures Game. But Aaron Hill of the Blue Jays was overlooked, especially after his sheepish batting-practice round with sluggers like Upton and Delmon Young--and even after his MVP performance in the actual game. Now Hill's in contention to be the American League rookie of the year, batting .350/.416/.488 in his first 123 at-bats with Toronto.

The other stars of last year's game were the hard-throwing pitchers who lit up the Minute Maid Park radar guns. We got to see that Felix Hernandez was real and not a too-good-to-be-true myth. We saw Jose Capellan and Merkin Valdez get close to 100 mph as well as the World team, led by Latin American pitchers, continued a recent trend of having most of the game's harder throwers.

So what does the game have in store for fans in 2005? Here's a sneak peek at some players who have the tools to produce a buzz at this year's Futures Game.

Top Breakout, World Team

Edison Volquez, rhp, Rangers. Texas' Double-A Frisco staff could have sent several members to Detroit instead of just two with Volquez and righthander Thomas Diamond, promoted in late June after going 8-0, 1.99 in high Class A.

Diamond, the 2004 first-round pick, was the Rangers' No. 1 prospect entering the season. Volquez ranked 12th, but he might be the No. 1 prospect in the organization at the moment, even with Diamond's dazzling start to his pro career. Volquez has improved so much this season, he's starting to earn the Pedro Martinez comparisons that come naturally to Latin American pitching prospects with good fastball velocity and a good changeup.

Volquez resembles Martinez in another, important way, however: maturity. Martinez learned English early in his pro career and quickly absorbed information from his coaches. Volquez has done much the same thing with the Rangers, feeling confident enough in his English to sit and chat with organization brass at his home over the winter in the Dominican Republic.

"What gets you more excited about this guy is how mature he is," Rangers assistant general manager Jon Daniels said. "(He) loves playing--big competitor, always a smile on his face--off the charts makeup. (He) has added 12 pounds since spring training and wears it well. He speaks English well . . . and isn't intimidated by staff or management at all."

Of course, Volquez' stuff--a mid-90s fastball that has touched 97, a plus changeup and an inconsistent breaking ball--gets the Rangers excited, too.

Volquez went an ordinary-looking 5-4, 4.19 with 77 strikeouts in 67 innings with high Class A Bakersfield in the California League. Following a pattern he began last season, Volquez responded to a challenge and adjusted quickly after his promotion to a higher level.

In 2004, he went 4-4, 4.05 at low Class A Clinton, then pitched his best after a promotion to the Cal League, going 4-1, 2.95 in eight starts with Stockton. While he lost two of his first four starts since his promotion this June to Frisco, his lone victory was a shutout, and he earned a spot in the Texas League all-star game after just three starts, replacing Fernando Nieve (Astros) after he was promoted to Triple-A.

Volquez' shutout against Corpus Christi was televised locally in Texas, perhaps aiding his rapid ascension to the all-star game. Frisco pitching coach Steve Luebber says Volquez at his best is certainly capable of dominating. While his fastball and change are plus pitches now, Luebber says the first time he saw Volquez, he thought the 6-foot, 200-pounder's best pitch was his curveball.

The keys to his improvement this season have been maintaining his loose arm and mechanics after gaining weight in the offseason, and staying taller in his delivery to give his breaking ball better depth.

"He was really, really good for an inning in the all-star game, sitting at 93-95 mph," the pitching coach said. "He had a plus changeup, too. He's just got a real loose arm with full arm action, and that's where he gets his velocity.

"I don't know about the Pedro comparisons, but I know some of the players call him 'El Pedrito.' He's not far away; he just needs to be more consistent."

Other Candidates: Hernan Iribarren, 2b, Brewers; Francisco Liriano, lhp, Twins; Miguel Montero, c, Diamondbacks; Anibal Sanchez, rhp, Red Sox.

Top Breakout, U.S. Team

Chris Young, of, White Sox. Athletic center fielders in the White Sox organization will get compared to Mike Cameron. It just happens because the Sox developed Cameron and continue to search for a replacement as dynamic as Cameron, though Aaron Rowand has certainly proved capable at the major league level.

Still, the Sox want another Cameron. Last year at low Class A Kannapolis, manager Chris Cron threw the comparison at Chris Young, particularly noting Young's power-speed combination. Now, managing Young at Double-A Birmingham, Razor Shines is throwing the same words around.

"I say he's Mike Cameron in waiting but with more power potential," said Shines, who knows Cameron has hit 167 major league homers. "He has the total package, and he's getting stronger every year. His legs were little skinny things when I first saw him, and now he's getting big and strong all over his body and his legs.

"I think he's not just going to be a good player; I think he's going to be a dominant player at the major league level."

A recent hot streak in June was what convinced Shines. Young, 21, jumped over high Class A and was struggling with the adjustment during the season's first two months, striking out 63 times entering June in just 197 at-bats. As he kept striking out, though, he realized he needed to be more patient and lay off breaking balls out of the strike zone. As his pitch selection improved, his power exploded.

He homered seven times in June (through the 28th) and ranked second in the Southern League behind Delmon Young in home runs. Moreover, he had a 15-18 walk-strikeout ratio in June in 90 at-bats, nearly halving his strikeout rate. He was batting .254-16-42 overall, with a Southern League-best 29 doubles as well as 14 stolen bases in 18 attempts.

Like Cameron, Young has premium defensive tools as well, Shines said.

"I don't like to hype kids," Shines said, "but this kid is legitimate. He's getting better because he's facing quality arms in this league with quality breaking balls, and he's learning what he has to do against them. Once I saw how he stayed strong mentally when he was struggling, that told me he's going to be tremendous. He didn't let the game beat him."

Other Candidates: Travis Bowyer, rhp, Twins; Scott Moore, 3b, Cubs; Marcus Sanders, 2b/ss, Giants; Brandon Wood, ss, Angels.

Hardest Throwers

It's always fun to watch the radar gun near triple digits. The best bets to do that in 2005's Futures Game are U.S. righthanders Travis Bowyer, who has hit 99 out of the bullpen at Triple-A Rochester; the resurgent Bobby Jenks (promoted to the big leagues this week), whose fastball sits at 96-99 mph as a reliever for Shines' Barons; and Joel Zumaya, whose fastball sits in the 95-98 mph range as a starter.

On the World team, the hardest throwers are Volquez, who touches 97; Valdez, who touched 97 in his Futures Game outing last July; and Rockies 21-year-old Juan Morillo, who reportedly broke 100 mph regularly last year in the short-season Northwest League, topping out at 104 mph.

Fastest Runners

Get out your stopwatch for these guys. Giants infielder Marcus Sanders (now out of the game with an injury) gets down the line in less than 4.0 seconds and ran 4.47 second 40-yard dashes as a high school football player. Mets outfielder Lastings Milledge has a power-speed mix and is an above-average runner who gets to first from the right side in 4.1 seconds.

While he's drawn attention for his increased power this season, Cubs outfielder Felix Pie (also out with an injury) might have been the World team's most dynamic player with 70 speed on the 20-80 scouting scale.

Sox Southpaws Surging

Ray Liotta's favorite movie is "Field of Dreams."

"I've probably watched it a million times," Liotta said with a smile.

Of course, how could you not be a professional baseball player and not like a classic baseball movie in which your namesake cousin starred?

However, here's the kicker: Ray Liotta, the pitching prospect with the White Sox' low Class A Kannapolis farm club in the South Atlantic League, has never met Ray Liotta, the actor, even though they are related.

"He is a distant cousin and he was adopted into our family," Kannapolis' Liotta said. "My dad has met him, but I never have. I'd love to some day, and talk to him about 'Field of Dreams.' "

Kannapolis was a field of dreams for Liotta and fellow lefthander Gio Gonzalez. The two gave the Intimidators one the better lefty combos at the low Class A level until Gonzalez was moved up to high Class A Winston-Salem in the Carolina League in mid-June.

Liotta was 5-3, 2.48 in his first 15 starts, striking out 79 and walking 24 in his first 91 innings. Gonzalez missed two turns in the rotation because of a strained side muscle in April but then went 5-3, 1.87 in 11 starts and 58 innings, striking out 84 and walking 22.

He had made only one start for Winston-Salem and was expected to miss one or two starts with pain in his triceps that the organization doesn't consider serious. But like Liotta, he has serious stuff.

"They have both been outstanding," Kannapolis pitching coach J.R. Perdew said before Gonzalez' promotion. "You really couldn't ask for anything more from them."

Gonzalez has been dazzling since the White Sox used a supplemental first-round draft choice on him last year. He went a combined 2-3, 2.70 with Rookie-level Bristol and Kannapolis in his pro debut.

"He has a very mature approach to pitching and being one of the youngest pitchers in the league doesn't faze him at all," Perdew said. "He has the command of three good pitches (fastball, 12-to-6 curveball and changeup) and has no fear of facing older hitters."

While Gonzalez is happy with his performance on the mound, he is trying to change people's perception of him.

Gonzalez was thrown off the team at Monsignor Pace High in South Florida last season after a dispute involving his mother and coach Tom Duffin over playing time for his younger brother, Max.

"I think a lot of people have the impression I'm a bad guy, but all I ask is don't judge a book by the cover," Gonzalez said. "I've worked very hard and the White Sox have been great. They have welcomed me with open arms and been very, very supportive of me. They've made me feel wanted from Day One."

Gonzalez, 19, has repaid with the White Sox with some fine pitching.

"The transition from high school to pro isn't easy," Gonzalez said. "You might get a mistake past these hitters one time, but you're not going to do it a second time because they are going to pound it. It's been a great learning experience and I'm really happy with the way I've handled it."

Liotta, 22, took a bit of a gamble last year when he transferred from Tulane to Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Fla., in order to become eligible for the draft as a sophomore. Liotta's move paid off as the White Sox chose him in the second round.

Liotta won the ERA title in the Rookie-level Pioneer League last year, going 5-1, 2.54 in 14 games, 11 starts. He feels he is an even better pitcher this season because he has learned to spot his tailing fastball in the 86-91 mph range, which complements his curve.

"In pro ball, you're not going to survive if you don't have a fastball," Liotta said. "The hitters will just sit on the curveball and hit it. I've made some mechanical adjustments that have helped me throw my fastball down in the strike zone consistently and that has made a big difference."

--JOHN PERROTTO